An Athlone Life

An Athlone woman, who is an inspiration to people many decades her junior, has overcome setbacks to regain her active quality of life. Mary Leech is a quiet modest woman, who gets on with things, and didn't moan when fighting a brain tumour and a pulmonary embolism, among other health challenges. It is only a few weeks before Mary turns 80 years of age and today she continues to socialise with her family and friends and drives to her favourite restaurants and shops. It is obvious to anyone who knows her that she enjoys life now as much as she did as a young girl growing up in Athlone in the 1940s. Mary was born and raised in St Brigid's Terrace, and her father, William McCrea was manager of the major hardware store, Lysters. "My father was a great man, who did great work and was one of the founder members of the Boy Scouts in Athlone, and he was a worker for the church, and was Grand Knight of the Knights of St Columbanus, but he was very unfortunate and died at the age of 46 of a brain tumour," said Mary, who would have been only seven years old at the time of her father's death. "I've a very vague memory of my father, and I remember some of my brothers waving goodbye to him when he was going to hospital. He was a great man, I was told by everyone." Mary's father was from Co. Fermanagh, and her mother, Aileen was from Sligo, and she was a border in Athlone in St Peter's School, and some years later she returned to the midlands to work as a teacher in Tang National School, and also Coosan school. "When she married my father she had to give up teaching, and when the children came along she minded them, because in those days there was no such thing as a crèche," said Mary. However the McCrea children happily grew up in St Brigid's Terrace, and Mary was the second youngest of a family, of which she was the only girl, and she had five brothers. The eldest Vincent served in the Royal Air Force in Singapore, and is now deceased. Liam who worked with the UK Coal Board, as a Chief Purchasing Officer is currently living in Kent, UK. Finn was an accountant with CIE, and was a singer with the Dublin Choral Society, and still lives in Dublin. Mary's youngest brother, Dermot was a Franciscan friar and was a renowned Mathematical Physist, known internationally for his work on Quantum Theory and Relativity. Dermot McCrea, who died at only 58 years of age, has a medal in his honour named in University College Dublin, to honour those who achieve high results in Mathematical Physics. He was originally taught mathematics by Brother Philip in Athlone's Marist College. Mary lost another brother, Desmond at only six weeks old. "We loved living in St Brigid's Terrace, and we had three gardai as neighbours, Detective Maguire, Garda Hyland and Garda Fahy, and Joe Duffy, manager of the Ritz, and Nellie Farrell, manageress of the Garden Vale cinema were living in the terrace as well," said Mary. "In fact, I was in the Ritz on its opening night, to see its first film, 'Three Smart Girls Grow Up' with Deanna Durbin. That was around 1939 I think. I know I was sitting in the front row of the balcony." Mary went to the Bower School, from the age of four, and she remembers learning French at that young age. She remembers being taught by Madam Aidan, and by Mrs Egan, wife of Frank Egan, who wrote a book of children's tales. "Mrs Egan taught us Latin in the class before she was married, and I stayed in the Bower until I did my Leaving Cert at age 17," said Mary. Mary remembers the night in November 1940, when the Woollen Mills (where the Radisson Hotel is now) burned down. The war was going on at the time, and she initially thought something connected to that was going on. However the McCrea family didn't see the need to be evacuated at the time to St Mary's Hall, like many others in the area were going to, because they were felt they were safe. "But I do remember the ashes going over our heads, and I heard a story about a lad who threw his schoolbag into the fire, so he'd have no school afterwards," she said laughing. At age 16, Mary joined Athlone Little Theatre and appeared in many plays including in the pivotal role of Pegeen Mike in 'The Playboy of the Western World'. "We went to competition with it, and Ray McAnally who was a famous actor was adjudicating, and thought that I was good at the role, but that I wasn't 'waspish' enough," said Mary laughing. After leaving school, Mary went working with solicitor Harry Walker, as a legal secretary, and she stayed working there until she got married, five years later. Mary loved playing tennis with Garden Vale Tennis Club, and went around the midlands playing in tournaments. She played tennis up to the time she got married at 22 years of age, and it was through the sport that she met her future husband George Leech. George was a Lieutenant, stationed in Custume Barracks, and the couple met during a tennis tournament in the barracks. "George was a great army man, and the army was his life, and every summer there was a tennis match in the barracks, with a dance and supper later on, and it was there we met," said Mary. Mary went there on the day with her friend Mary McAlister, whose father was in the army, and that Mary went on to become Mary's bridesmaid. The two old friends still meet up regularly, for tea and a chat. After they married Mary and George lived for a while in Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim, and then went to live in Enniscrone, Co Sligo for four years. "Our first home really was Enniscrone, because George was attached to the FCA in the Sligo area, and I constantly heard the noise of the waves of the sea there, which I missed when I eventually left," she said. "I loved Enniscrone, and went back there every year for a month, with the kids and the dog, and the granny, and even when kids were grown up and gone away, George and I would go back there." Mary and George had seven children, Desmond, Aileen, George, Mary, Hilary, Geraldine and Jackie, and seventeen grandchildren. George was eventually made a Colonel and he was stationed for a time in the Curragh, and later in Dublin, but Mary lived in Athlone, and her mother came to live with the family. George went on to become Officer Commanding in the Western Command in Galway. The Leech family were well known for living in a two-story family home, on three-quarters of a plot of land, situated on Wansboro Field, on the banks of the River Shannon on Coosan Road. "I remember going by there as a child on a bicycle, and falling off with a cut knee, and going in to the lady of the house," said Mary. "We had many very happy years there as a family, and had lovely neighbours across the road, and I remember Mrs Wykes especially, who was a great neighbour." Mary was a leading Athlone Irish Countrywomen's Association member for several years, and was Treasurer, Secretary and President at different times. She was also an avid Bridge player for over 35 years, and appeared at many tournaments with her friend Eileen Collins. Sadly George died in 1996, and Mary fought her many health challenges, including a serious brain tumour, and pulmonary embolism, and a pulmonary hypertension in the years since then, although thankfully, successfully. Mary, who has a great positive attitude, gets out and about when she needs to, meets her friends, and doesn't see bringing her oxygen tank with her, as a chore. "I love getting out when I can, because there is no point in staying in and moaning," she said happily.